And for those of you from Michigan, Rowdy will be at the Berlin Raceway in Marne on Tuesday, June 21 for the CRA Super Series - USA Modifieds. Kids free, adults $20. I wasn't able to go last year, but heard a lot of positive feedback from others that he was a great guy to meet.

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- Kasey Kahne earned himself a NASCAR victory and to him, that's more important than a few days off.

The Sprint Cup star led the final 51 laps, held off defending series champion Todd Bodine and brought more success to Kyle Busch Motorsports in winning the Camping World Trucks event at Darlington Raceway on Saturday night.

Kahne could've easily been soaking up some sun, like his Cancun-bound truck owner, during the Sprint Cup off week. Instead, Kahne took part in his favorite form of relaxation - winning races.

Timothy Peters was sixth followed by former Sprint Cup regular Elliott Sadler. Pole-winner Cole Whitt was next with Johnny Sauter and David Starr rounding out the top 10.

Kahne, who led 95 laps, has three victories and a second in four career Trucks starts.

Kahne was the clear headliner at Darlington and came loaded with one of the series' most dominant machines. Busch won eight times last season, including three of the last four events.

Busch has kept it up this year, winning at Phoenix two weeks ago.

This time, though, Busch chose to take a Mexican vacation with wife Samantha - the couple were watching the race in TV but in Spanish - leaving the seat open for fellow Sprint Cup racer Kahne.

Crew chief Eric Phillips was happy for Kahne. Phillips also swore that Busch is a delightful owner who's never said a cross word to him during the heat of racing. Then again, what's there to complain about with KBM's success rate?

"Guys that drives these Cup cars every week, they expect you to show up at the racetrack and be good when you unload, be fast and be prepared," Phillips said. "And as long as you are, they're easy to work with."

Kahne won his first-ever Trucks start at Darlington in 2004 and just about picked up where he left off then.

He was quickest in the first of two practice sessions, was second in qualifying and, by running mostly up front, stayed free of the wreckage that always seem to take place at the "Lady in Black."

The race saw a record-tying 10 caution periods, the most serious coming on lap 98 when 18-year-old Johanna Long slammed into Ricky Carmichael and then hit the inside retaining wall.

Both Carmichael and Long, the series' youngest competitor, left the infield care center in good condition.

Kahne took the lead for good on lap 96, then stood strong through three restarts to stay in front.

The last one came with three laps remaining and Darlington veterans Bodine and Hornaday breathing hard down his tailgate.

But Kahne calmly powered ahead when the green flag dropped and no one could catch him.

Bodine thought he might have something for Kahne down the stretch, but left praising the nearly full front stretch grandstand on a picture-perfect, 70-degree day. The race even included an on track visit from NFL star Randy Moss, co-owner of Randy Moss Motorsports, which fielded trucks for Travis Kvapil and Tayler Malsam.

"I'm so happy for Darlington Raceway, look at all the fans we got," Bodine said.

Kahne, Busch and the rest of the Sprint Cup competitors resume their schedule next week at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Those who intentionally live off another’s labor will always want more free stuff!

Mar 8, 2011 - Though he's been less abrasive, more charming and unusually accountable for his actions this year, there is no "new" Kyle Busch.

Fans, media and Busch's fellow competitors have noticed a change this year in how Busch conducts himself. Through his interviews, Busch has become much easier to like – which has spawned all sorts of theories about the 25-year-old driver.

Marriage has tamed him!

He's matured!

He's been abducted by aliens and replaced with a different person!

None of these theories hold much water. Busch hasn't suddenly matured overnight, nor does saying "I do" suddenly summon a magic genie who transforms personalities (the jury is still out on the alien abduction, though).

As it turns out, no one likes to be hated – not even Busch. Pro wrestlers can revel in the role of the villainous bad boy, but real people don't particularly enjoy hearing tens of thousands of boos every week.

The truth is, Busch wants to be liked – just as all of us do. He'd prefer you appreciate his on-track talents on their own merits, but his actions and words off the track have sometimes overshadowed his success.

So what he's done is get smarter about those moments in which he has turned people off in the past. He doesn't storm off like a sore loser when things don't go his way, and he doesn't make snide remarks that repel those fans who had just decided to give him another chance.

In nearly every interview this year, he's been downright charming in many instances, mixing humor with just enough confidence to remind you he's still Kyle Busch.

That doesn't mean he's lost his competitive edge or had a lobotomy – nor does it mean he's a phony. Busch is seeming to make a conscious effort to show the sides of himself that people can like and appreciate, rather than the sides that spur the "What a jerk!" reactions.

Busch seems to have decided to connect with fans instead of push them away. He used to not care that much; now, he does.

While wife Samantha certainly deserves credit for her influence as well, it didn't just happen as soon as they tied the knot. And it's worth noting that just because Busch has done an admirable job in the first few races, it doesn't mean he won't slip up now and then.

If Busch keeps this up, though, he'll start to hear more cheers and fewer boos over time. It will be a long process – but at least he's trying.

Those who intentionally live off another’s labor will always want more free stuff!

michaeljohn wrote:48 dont have to win, its a proven winner, and multiple champion, go menard the REAL DRIVER at rcr!

LMAO! That's not even worth responding to.What is thou is Chad didn't get the #48 back out in the lead from the pits and the drivers that have a set,JJ couldn't get by! That #48 is all Chad and a monkey could drive that car.Still JJ never gets voted most popular driver of the year and has a fan base still less than most of the other more popular drivers,wonder why?

Not so many years ago, Kurt Busch was the master of Bristol Motor Speedway, rattling off an impressive string of wins.

It appears Bristol is in the Busch brothers’ blood, as younger brother Kyle is now the current undisputed king of Bristol after sweeping the weekend there for the second consecutive time – he won all three races last August and both races this weekend. Never in NASCAR’s history has a driver swept two straight weekends at one track.

Busch led 153 laps and claimed his first win of the season, but it will definitely not be his last. Busch has shown he is a threat nearly every week and will be a force when it comes time to battle for the championship.

With the win, Busch’s 20th overall in Cup, the tornado that is Kyle Busch continues to blow apart the competition. The fact that he outdueled extremely strong competition like “5-time” Jimmie Johnson and super-hot Carl Edwards shows that the #18 team is at the top of its game. Not only is the driver awesome, but the team is giving its all on pit road and at the shop to make his wins possible.

Ask any driver, and they’ll tell you Bristol is one of the hardest tracks in NASCAR to win on. The fact that Kyle Busch has done it five times in three different series in the past five races is a testament to the tremendous potential he has to rewrite the record books (with the exception of the King’s 200 wins of course … they ran a lot more races back then, so that’s the only one that’s probably safe).

Those who intentionally live off another’s labor will always want more free stuff!

michaeljohn wrote:48 dont have to win, its a proven winner, and multiple champion, go menard the REAL DRIVER at rcr!

LMAO! That's not even worth responding to.What is thou is Chad didn't get the #48 back out in the lead from the pits and the drivers that have a set,JJ couldn't get by! That #48 is all Chad and a monkey could drive that car.Still JJ never gets voted most popular driver of the year and has a fan base still less than most of the other more popular drivers,wonder why?

well you responded didnt ya? DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! and in typical wolfie fashion you failed, you never make any sense, all you do is type jibberish and cry about dale sr, but remember im a ROBOT so nothing you say bothers me, plus SHR wouldnt let me participate in anything because JJ is one of my favorite drivers, remember saying that monkey boy? who cares if jj never win popular driver, ones career is not based on that, but then again you like a bunch of losers, so that is all you can hope for, is some pathetic lil gimmick that doesnt mean anything.

I too was glad Kyle swept Bristol if it had to be. Kyle is not my favorite but he does make one sit up and take notice. I'm glad we do have different personalities in NASCAR. It would be dull to have all hot heads, GQ's, goof offs and a bunch dumber than a box of rocks. Most of them change over the years. Some for the better and some not. I only care about how Tony and Ryan race. The rest is entertainment. As for Kyle he marches to his own drummer just like Tony and i can't fault him for that.

The Military Thanks You For Standing Behind Them. If You Can't Do that You Can Always Stand In Front Of Them.....Think About It.....

Thank you to those who took a step forward to save the rest who stand still.

michaeljohn wrote:48 dont have to win, its a proven winner, and multiple champion, go menard the REAL DRIVER at rcr!

LMAO! That's not even worth responding to.What is thou is Chad didn't get the #48 back out in the lead from the pits and the drivers that have a set,JJ couldn't get by! That #48 is all Chad and a monkey could drive that car.Still JJ never gets voted most popular driver of the year and has a fan base still less than most of the other more popular drivers,wonder why?

well you responded didnt ya? DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! and in typical wolfie fashion you failed, you never make any sense, all you do is type jibberish and cry about dale sr, but remember im a ROBOT so nothing you say bothers me, plus SHR wouldnt let me participate in anything because JJ is one of my favorite drivers, remember saying that monkey boy? who cares if jj never win popular driver, ones career is not based on that, but then again you like a bunch of losers, so that is all you can hope for, is some pathetic lil gimmick that doesnt mean anything.

So you do pay attention,you just can't comprehend. LOL

Last edited by wolfgang on Sun Mar 27, 2011 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.